Herbert sized up his captain without his beard and appeared unimpressed. "I don't know if I can get used to this," he said. "You look but a boy now."
"Then that means it'll work," Edward replied.
"I suppose." Herbert stared at the blank canvas that was Edward's chin for a moment more before looking him in the eyes. "Ready?"
Edward nodded. "Ready."
3. Course Correction
Unease forced Anne awake. The pre-dawn air and a feeling of unease chilled her to the bone, needling her with her every movement. Edward was not next to her in bed still, and some of his last words echoed in her mind.
"I will be by your side again soon, worry not."
Soon had come and gone as far as Anne was concerned, and something had felt off about the way he was acting. He was more restless these days, but a different kind of restless. Frequently it was one of cold sweats and gasps for air. This had been an inquisitive restlessness. A search for answers.
But what was the question? Anne pondered.
She sat up, cleared her mind, and let the rocking waves guide her breathing. Meditation was an early lesson in mindfulness she had been taught when learning to fight. A healthy mind and a healthy body went hand in hand, but meditation had other uses as well. She reflected on the day's events, tumultuous as they were, to find out what was plaguing her husband so she could trace his steps.
It didn't take her long to come to an answer. "Herbert," she said aloud.
Anne rose from the bed and donned her clothes, and it was then that she noticed Edward's cutlass hanging from a chair, firmly in its scabbard. Its presence wormed more worry into Anne's mind. It meant, if Anne was right, that Edward was confident he was going to be coming back and forgotten it, or that the golden blade was too conspicuous and he couldn't be seen with it.
Anne swore under her breath and rushed to the weather deck. There, the crewmates on the night watch were talking amongst themselves. Their shift would end with the earliest rays of the morning light, which were quickly approaching.
"The captain has gone ashore, has he not?" Anne asked as she approached the men.
The men dropped what they were doing for their quartermaster. "Aye, ma'am, he went not two hours a'fore."
"And Herbert before him, I imagine?" she said, annoyance evident in her tone.
"A… Aye," the crewmate replied, fear breeding hesitation.
"Dad dammit!" she cursed. "Drop everything you're doing and search the harbour for them. Ask every ship if they took notice of a man in a wheelchair and a fearsome man with a black beard."
"Ma'am?" the crewmate asked.
Anne folded her arms. "Herbert and the captain are about to abscond to pursue Calico Jack on their own. We haven't much time if we mean to stop the fools before they leave the harbour," she explained. "Now go!"
The crewmates on deck hopped to their feet and rushed off the gangplank to the harbour. They quickly split up and began asking the men milling about preparing to leave for their captain and helmsman.
Anne gazed upon the harbour to both sides of the Queen Anne's Revenge. Ships dotted the angled harbour, each with crews preparing to leave, each of them a merchant or trading vessel and each, unlike a pirate ship, needing to be on the move early to ensure they met their predetermined shipping times and made the money they were promised.
Anne's faculty of memory was a work in progress. She didn't have perfect clarity that Alexandre seemed to possess or the recall that Christina had built up over time, but she was close. After a few minutes, she was confident that at least two ships had already left the harbour. She scanned the horizon but couldn't see any others. If Edward and Herbert had been on one of those ships, there was no chance of finding exactly where they were going.
Anne soon received her answer by the hand of an errand boy and in the form of a letter addressed to her.
Dearest Anne,
With the recent revelations, I can no longer in good conscience allow the crew to take part in this family matter. Herbert and I plan to end this ourselves. When you hear the news of our enemy's passing, come to his former base of operations. It will be safe then.
You'll be safe then.
I love you,
Edward
Anne crumpled the paper and tossed it in the ocean with a huff. The errand boy, waiting to see if Anne wanted to send a letter herself, looked afraid and confused. She handed him a coin and sent him on his way.
She walked over to the edge of the ship, looking over the port side and up and down the harbour. Her gaze eventually caught one of the crewmates searching for Edward, and after a moment, their eyes met, and he stopped in his tracks. She motioned a circle in the air, telling the crewmate to gather the others and return to the ship. He nodded, letting her know he understood before going about his task.
She turned around and rested on the port railing. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, letting the sea breeze flow over her.
"What now?" she muttered aloud.
There was only one choice that didn't involve them rushing into an obvious trap—the only one that could help before heading to Nassau, and possibly to help Edward as well.
"On to Los Huecos then."
…
"This is foolish!" Christina shouted, accentuated by a slam of her fist on the war room's ornate table. "My brother's obviously going to Nassau to kill Edward's fa—" Christina paused, the word hanging on her tongue like a curse she dared not utter. "To kill Calico Jack," she finished.
"And what if they plan on heading to Tortuga instead?" Anne countered. "What if
